Lower Macungie Planners Hear Residents' Protests Of Apartments

About 15 residents who live north of a proposed site for apartments attended a Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting Tuesday night to protest the plans.

Only two of the five commission members were present. One member was sick and the other two were excused. "All the things the Planning Commission will rule on tonight are advisory only," said commission solicitor Donald Miles. "Nothing tonight will be final."

William Boyle, vice president for the Ancient Oak West Civic Association, said he and other residents protested the construction of 19 apartment buildings with 76 dwelling units - Spring Creek Village - because of the density of traffic congestion in the neighborhood already.

Throughout the latter part of the meeting, residents nervously paced before the commission and talked among themselves while Edward Schlaner, a civil engineer for Martin H. Schuler Co., Allentown, presenting the plans on behalf of Busch Brothers Development Co., Allentown, and answered questions before the commission.

Charles Collins, who recently purchased a house in Ancient Oak West, said he would be affected by a possible expansion because he lives on a corner that would be heavily traveled.

"I'm coming out of townhouses and into single family homes to get out of those problems," he said. "I don't feel very good about it."

Ancient Oak is east of Route 100, between Spring Creek and Quarry roads.

The street adjacent to Collins' house, Iris Road, is a dead end. With the proposed expansion, however, it would be extended, and he said cars from the new development would pass his house constantly.

But Schlaner said commission recommendations call for extending a road in the proposed development, Christopher Lane, onto Route 100 instead of channeling traffic through the existing subdivision. He said the new plans should be ready by the second Planning Commission meeting in August.

At one point during the meeting, Boyle said that the "conditions" weren't right for this type of development. But solicitor Miles said the commission cannot merely deny the developers access to land for that reason.

"They cannot say it's in the public welfare to deny it," Miles said. He added that if the developer met the requirements recommended by the township engineer, the commission had to approve the development or face a probable lawsuit.

Commission member Philip Klotz said he was concerned about the traffic problem and called it a "serious consideration" for the commission to look at.

Larry A. Walk, the only other commission member present, said the situation will not be resolved for a while.

In other items, the commission advised that the exit at a proposed two- story office building at 4979 Hamilton Blvd. be modified slightly to alleviate traffic congestion there.

Klotz said drivers exiting the proposed building should only be permitted to turn right onto Hamilton Boulevard because of the heavy traffic near the intersection of Hamilton and Brookside Road. The commission also advised that the exit from the building be moved 300 feet from the intersection instead of 250 feet that had been proposed.

"We can't just amplify an already existing problem," Walk said of the modifications.